


They were kids that I once knew

by trilliastra



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, M/M, POV Outsider, Stilinski Family Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-30
Updated: 2013-10-30
Packaged: 2017-12-30 23:00:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1024415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trilliastra/pseuds/trilliastra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He wasn't expecting to come home this particular Friday to find his twenty year old son sprawled on his back on their living room floor.</p><p>“Stiles.” He calls, looking around the room for clues that could help him understand what's going on with his kid. “Explain?”</p><p>“Daaaaaaaaad! Why me, dad?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	They were kids that I once knew

One might think being a Sheriff is a heroic and glamorous job. Stiles used to think the same thing when he was younger, but then Claudia died and John had to take him to the station more frequently until Stiles eventually got bored of watching his father filling papers about missing dogs and vandalism and decided to stay with the McCalls instead.

It hadn't changed much since those times. Of course there was that phase with the dead animals and dead people but John never got the chance to catch the actual criminals (werewolves and werewolf hunters, shifters, kanimas – thank God it was just a phase), just the bodies of their victims and it was so frustrating he thought about quitting more than once. It was only his uneasiness with Stiles' mysterious life that kept him working, because if his son got in trouble John would be there to clean things after him – even if it meant breaking the law – because there's nothing he wouldn't do for his son.

Fridays are usually the worst day at work, there are more papers to fill and orders to give and no trouble around town so he gets bored pretty quickly. The upside though, is that he gets to go home earlier to have dinner with Stiles when he manages to come home from college.

Things get really quiet without Stiles around, but John will never admit that he misses it (not aloud at least).

It's barely past six when he gets home with Chinese take out in hand because Stiles refuses to cook when he comes home and John is a failure in the kitchen – always been, always will be. He knows Stiles will whine about the lack of salad and John will say he's the father and he can eat whatever he wants – Stiles will whine a little bit more and it will be pretty much everything John was expecting for his Friday night.

He wasn't expecting to come home this particular Friday to find his twenty year old son sprawled on his back on their living room floor, one arm covering his eyes and the other gripping at a cushion from the couch that looks suspiciously too wrinkled – like Stiles tried to squeeze it to death.

“Stiles.” He calls, looking around the room for clues that could help him understand what's going on with his kid. “Explain?”

“Daaaaaaaaad!” He whines and John lets a sigh of relief because it's just Stiles being Stiles. “Why me, daaaaad?”

“Start making sense or I can't help you son.”

“I was having a perfect normal day, you know?” He says barely moving on the floor and John decides to drop the food on the coffee table because it doesn't seem like Stiles will move any time soon. “I came home which is cool, I had no assignments for the weekend. Scott and I even planned to play lacrosse tomorrow. And now everything sucks!”

“Okay. Do you want to tell me more about it while we eat?” John decides to say, hoping that mentioning food will make Stiles leave the floor.

He congratulates himself when Stiles moves the arm from his face and looks around for the food.

“You shouldn't be eating this.” He says and John rolls his eye.

“One problem at a time.” John indicates the table and Stiles finally sits to grab his own plate. “So what happened that made your day sucks?”

“Everything!” He mumbles over his mouthful and John pointedly glares at him until Stiles swallows the food before continuing. “My view of the universe and life and everything changed! At this point I don't know if I am Stiles and you're really my dad or just a robot from the future to kill me!”

 _Damn Claudia,_ John thinks, _we created a drama queen._

“I swear I'm still your dad and you're still Ti -”

“No! Yeah, I believe you. No need for real names.” Stiles interrupts and John can't help but let out a sigh.

“Okay son. What happened?”

“I came home and I sent a message to everybody to say I was back and then thirty minutes later Derek dropped by.” 

_Oh,_ he thinks. Somehow Stiles' dramas always involve Derek.

“And I thought 'cool, nice of him to come see me so fast' and also 'he looks really good in this shirt'. Which are all normal thoughts by the way, Derek looks really good in red and -”

“Yeah.” John cuts because he doesn't need to know what Stiles was going to say. There are some things a father should never hear about his son, never. “Okay – point?”

“Point?” Stiles almost yells. “The point is that Derek looks really good in red and I missed him although we saw each other two weeks ago and I'm possibly, completely in love with him and I don't know how this happened!” He babbles in a rush and finishes with a high pitched Daaaaad! like John has the answer for the life, universe and everything. (He blames Claudia for this one – she made him read the books when they were dating).

“Congratulations.” He says and Stiles looks at him astonished.

“Did you not hear me?”

“I did. Was I supposed to be sad that you are in love?”

“But it's Derek! Derek Hale – the werewolf Derek! Derek who -”

“Yeah yeah!” He waves absently, putting his plate down to look at Stiles. “He's also a good man and protected you more times than I can count.”

“Well yes but -”

“But what?” John doesn't know where this conversation was supposed to go, but considering that Stiles was whining about it on the floor earlier he shouldn't really be surprised. “You're in love with him, he's in love with you. What's the problem?”

“You – he - in love – what?” 

_Oh Claudia,_ John thinks again, _our son is an idiot._

“You didn't know.” He states, controlling the urge to cuff Stiles' head. Although Derek is not one to show his feelings openly, there are some things you can't just hide – the spark in your eye, the smile, the subtle change in the voice. John watched Derek's expression too many times to not realize what he felt for Stiles.

The kind of reverence and worry it only comes with being in love with someone always filled Derek's face when talking to or about Stiles. The way he smiles proudly at a compliment from Stiles or even the way Derek touches him cautiously, like at any moment Stiles could break.

John always thought Stiles knew and just decided to deal with it like he dealt with most of the things: by ignoring them. But also John must admit, he wasn't particularly looking for the signs on his son's actions and expressions. This things, the feelings, John was not prepared – will never be prepared - to see in his son.

Probably because he knows how much loving someone can hurt you. When they get hurt or die – it breaks something in you, something really hard to repair.

John can only wish for his son to never suffer from this kind of pain.

“No!!!” Stiles shouts outraged and stands, abandoning his food on the table in order to start pacing around the room. “You're kidding right?” He asks, expression open and hopeful like John never saw before.

“No. Why would I joke about this? He loves you Stiles. He really does.” And then something incredible happens and John feels his heart contract inside his chest: Stiles smiles and _it's beautiful._

It's so Claudia and so full of love, John feels blinded just by looking at it.

This is the moment, he realizes. The moment Stiles leaves him forever.

The moment Stiles falls in love and grows up and move in with someone else and starts a family of his own.

John is happy, he really is. It's hard not to be with the way Stiles is smiling like he never smiled before. But he can't help but feel a lump in his throat – a spark of pain that he quickly tries to suppress.

“Go after him, son.” He says and Stiles nods determined. 

“Yeah.” Stiles says. “Yeah.” He smiles one last time and after grabbing the keys to his Jeep, runs to the door, leaving John alone to wipe a tear off his face.

–

The next Friday Stiles is home, John leaves work early again and stops to take two pizzas. The moment he steps inside his house, he calls for Stiles and is answered by two voices instead of one.

He heads to the living room and smiles to Stiles and Derek curled on the couch, his son's head resting on the older man's shoulder and Derek's hand drawing random patterns on Stiles' back.

“I brought pizza.” He announces and Stiles pulls a face.

“You are not allowed to eat that and you know it!”

“Try me.” He smirks and thinks _'we raised a brilliant man Claudia. The best.'._

**Author's Note:**

> I always wanted to write a story from Sheriff Stilinski's POV because he's awesome, also his name is John here because the fandom has decided so...
> 
> Hope you like it, comments are always welcome!
> 
> [Tumblr](http://www.brookesbutler.tumblr.com) if you want to talk!


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